04.04.04 – By Keith Terceira – I have spent the last several days pouring over S.275, the Senate Bill that recently passed and was moved along by individuals with little to no concept of reality outside some cushy office paid for by your tax dollars. What an utter waste of money and time. If you fans thought the sport of Boxing was in a downward spiral now, I suggest you move to the side before it crashes completely. What I once considered a worthwhile venture where the Boxer would have some protection under the law looks more like an opportunity for federal intrusion while providing nothing to the fighter except more vague fees.
The truth is that this Bill is so vague about the costs to the participants that of the sport that it truly only sets up another organization that gets in the pockets of the Sport. All the enforcement of the bill already exists. The power to investigate can be done through several law enforcement organizations as well as the Dept. of Commerce. The entire bill is an outline that could hold so many unfair unequal surprises to the small promoter, the club fighter, and managers.
1. This Bill further intrudes on the rights of Native American Tribes across the land to self government.
2. It further violates the rights of States to self government. IE; if a state so decides that licensing for Matchmakers, corner men, and managers are unneeded this bill violates that ruling and forces it to comply or substitutes itself…
3. It provides no benefits, no medical insurance, no disability assistance for fighters which is what the sport needs, it only sucks more funds from the already poverty stricken bottom 90% of the participants.
4. Gives no protection to the fighter against the sport heading overseas and circumventing the USBC completely. IE: Move all Championship Fights to Casinos and Arena’s in Europe or the Caribbean and televise from there.
(b) BOXERS- A boxer may not own or control, directly or indirectly, an entity that promotes the boxer’s bouts if that entity is responsible for–
`(1) executing a bout agreement or promotional agreement with the boxer’s opponent; or
`(2) providing any payment or other compensation to–
`(A) the boxer’s opponent for participation in a bout with the boxer;
`(B) the boxing commission that will regulate the bout; or
`(C) ring officials who officiate at the bout.‘.
Here is one example that I speak of. Several small promoters across the country are also fighters and managers. That has always been the nature of the sport. Does this section of the law suddenly prohibit a fighter who as he nears the end of his career and invests in a gym that puts on club fights which includes some minor championship from making a living or fighting on his own card. This is just one in a long line of unfair and unrealistic sections of this law that only further supports big corporate interests that already are taking over the sport.
What about companies like SMC that offers lower commission rates to boxers and seek to make boxers the primary share holders in the company instead of some mega promoter owning their rights. Does this mean they can not promote their own events because they indirectly own the corporation? Does this help protect fighters or enforce the same old system, protecting the status quo keeping fighters from gaining the upper hand?
Here is one little tidbit that I find extremely interesting. The lawmakers that are voting this bill, those suddenly so interested in conflicts of interests in the little sport of boxing, are they divesting themselves of shares in Beer Companies like Bud, Miller and others who are major sponsors, or Casino Companies, or Media outlets. I think not. This bill only assists those in the sport that already have the finances to hire the best attorneys, the smartest accountants, and enough money to buy favor with Senators and Congressmen in the states they work in. Fact is Don King recently came out in support of George Bush and the Republicans. Guess he is not so worried about a Republican written bill.
Here is one example I am discussing. During a previous Senate hearing several elite members of the sport admitted to wrongdoing and criminal acts. Yet still they function at the top of the sport. All the power of the federal government, the IRS, the FBI, and every other bureaucracy we possess could not remove these individuals and protect fighters but we are to believe that the USBC will be stronger than them. I think not. Politicians suddenly want to improve boxing when they have ignored and at times assisted those who admitted guilt, giving them immunity from prosecution. Exacting no punishment and protecting no one from further crimes. Kind of like releasing a murderer because he helped you catch a pickpocket.
Another farce in this bill is the absence of hard fee schedules. Only vague references that the boxer is to pay as little as possible. Would that be 10.00 or 10,000 dollars for licenses? What are the promoter’s fees etc?
No answers. So the boxing club that puts on a fight in a gym those seats 300 may just end because they thought to ignore the passing of this bill. What if the fees etc. become several thousand a year or even a couple? Is the federal government so ignorant that they don’t know that every single increase in the promoters cost lowers the purses to the fighters. This bill sets no minimum standards, no protection that because of the added expenses that the majority of fighters who already work in near poverty will make even less.
When will the federal government learn that when you attempt to regulate you create cost, that cost gets either passed on to the consumer or effects the worker. Never does it affect the larger companies only the small. So when it costs more to put on the fights the tickets go up or the purses go down or the venue and promoter goes away, but you have looked good MR. Senators in an election year. When you are making over hundred grand a year off the backs of hardworking Americans a raise in tickets cost doesn’t affect you much but for many fans it could drive us from the Arena.
God knows that regulation and Commissions have stopped Drugs America, Hunger in America, Lowered Gas Prices, Stopped illegal immigration, Removed ignorance and poor education, Stopped Jobs from Heading oversees, Replenished the ozone, raised the minimum wage to above the poverty level, reduced insurance costs and provided affordable medical care to every American, Reduced the death toll from Doctor related deaths, and reimbursed shareholders that were screwed by fraud and corruption in hundreds of bankrupt companies across America.
All the above problems have a bureau that was supposed to cure the ills above; all those bureaus collect funds for the federal government in the manner of fines and fees. To this day the problems that these commissions were set up to solve are worse not better. There are so many loopholes in this bill that Butterbean could walk through them.
I have a couple of questions for John McCain, when your ignorant little publicity stunt here takes the local Gym and clubs fights away, and puts those kids back on the streets to run in gangs or to have little or nothing to do because you have cut the governments funding for after school programs etc. is it your neighborhood they will live in?
My second question is if you couldn’t enforce the Mohammad Ali Act, how you can enforce all these sections of laws in this bill.
This bill provides very little to the Boxer, Manager, Corner man, Small Promoter, ETC. It provides emergency medical requirements period. That could have been done without a commission. This Bill helps the large promoter, the big casino, and every fighter not in the USA. So much for free enterprise.
Thirdly, I see no oversight of Boxing Unions in this bill, no protections for boxers that may get screwed by them. Is that because one such organization assisted you in this endeavor.
God knows the Teamsters have never been investigated!!!!
Further sections of this Bill will be dissected in coming articles but I truly feel that just when the sport needed a hand it is getting a hammer! We will also investigate the conflict of interests some Senators and Congressmen have even voting for this Bill.